Dhaka, Feb 11 (bdnews24.com)—Frequent bird flu outbreaks in the poultry farms in Dhaka and on the outskirts of the capital have stoked fears of a serious health threat to Bangladeshis.

Altogether 12 bird flu attacks in a week in Dhaka district, from where the country's only human avian influenza case was detected in May 2008, have the health experts on the edge.

"The virus (H5N1) can pass on to humans from poultry any time given the present situation. It's a public health concern," says Dr ASM Alamgir, an influenza expert with the World Health Organization's Dhaka office.

He says in areas currently experiencing avian influenza outbreaks in poultry, the practice of marketing live birds may pose a significant risk to the people involved.

"Even people should try to avoid coming into close contact with pigeons and crows unnecessarily, as lab tests found the presence of H5N1 in crows during the mass death in 2008 in Dhaka and Chittagong."

He suggests people consume well-cooked poultry products and maintain bio-security in farms.

Avian flu has so far killed 306 people out of 518 infected in 15 countries and most of these cases have been linked to close contact with infected poultry or their secretions.

Bangladesh can be a hot spot for emerging infectious and costly diseases such as bird flu because of population growth and movement, urbanisation, changes in food production and other factors, researches show.

The 15-month old Bangladeshi boy who survived the deadly flu got the virus when his mother slaughtered a chicken at their home in Dhaka's Kamalapur slum and later cuddled him (boy) with unwashed hands.

The Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) advises doctors to take history of exposure to sick poultry while seeing patients with serious respiratory illness, who might have contracted the deadly strain of human avian influenza virus.

The virus normally spreads between sick poultry but it can sometimes spread from poultry to humans. It does not spread easily between humans, differing in that respect from the milder H1N1 bird flu virus.

"H5N1 (virus) has the potential to cause severe illness in human with a high fatality rate," Alamgir says, but the strain (clade 2.2) of H5N1 which circulates in Bangladesh is less virulent.

"It causes relatively less infection to humans," he says, adding it can be changed into another class (2.1), which is highly infectious to human.

Livestock experts say maintaining bio-security in poultry farms is the key to stave off the avian influenza that also brings colossal damage to the poultry industry with each strike.

Zahin Hasan, director of Kazi Farms Limited, says all of their workers live inside the farm compound and shower before they go to the chicken sheds.

"But for some farms it will not be enough as all village households have backyard chickens and workers living in their village homes can carry the virus to the farm," he says.

Even at a larger farm with standard bio-security, according to Hasan, there is the risk that dogs, goats or backyard chickens may sneak in through gaps in the boundary fence.

To prevent such unwanted entry, Hasan says, poultry owners are now double-fencing every farm –an outer fencing at the boundary and an inner fence around the poultry sheds to prevent dogs, goats or backyard chickens entering the sheds.

"Around the sheds, we kill the grass with chemicals as it provides hiding places for rats, which can also spread the bird flu virus."

He said bird flu outbreaks are disastrous for the poultry industry in that entrepreneurs do not want to invest fearing heavy losses.

Rafiqul Islam, professor of veterinary of Bangladesh Agricultural University, urged the government's livestock department to heighten its surveillance to find out where the virus hides after winter.

He suggests 'one health' approach. "Livestock department is battling to stop the spread of the disease by culling poultry, but the challenges remain elsewhere.

"Community people should be involved in the process of eliminating bird flu from Bangladesh."

The world's first outbreak of bird flu among humans occurred in Hong Kong in 1997, when it claimed six lives. That outbreak was linked to chickens and classified as H5N1.

Bangladesh has recorded 375 outbreaks in poultry in 49 districts since the first outbreak in March 2007.

Different avian influenza studies show that almost all parts of an infected bird are contaminated with the viruses that thrive in low temperature; only 70 degrees Celsius is enough to kill the virus.

The virus can be found inside and on the surface of eggs and can survive in droppings too for at least 35 days in low temperatures.

It was suspected that the mass deaths of crows in 2008 were because they ate the carcasses of H5N1-infected chicken, thrown away by people in the dustbin or open places.

Experts say people should wear protective gear and practise measures in the outbreak areas to prevent personal contamination while slaughtering chickens and handling dead chickens.

They advise people cough into the crook of elbow and wash hands with soap often to reduce the spread of influenza virus at home or in the community

Scattered incidents of Nipah virus infection are still continuing till 4 pm on Friday, officials sources said.Four more Nipah virus infected patients were admitted to the RMCH during the period.Divisional Director of Health Dr Shahadat Hossain said that the main thrust of Nipah virus infections in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat district is already over and some scattered incidents of infections were still being reported from the other areas.Senior Scientific Officer of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) Dr Mostaq Hossain with other officials and experts have been investigating the situation in every spot of infection in these districts, he said.He said that the doctors, health workers, officials, administrations and other organisations have been working to contain Nipah virus infections through preventive, measures and building awareness in the affected areas."We have engaged our best efforts and are closely monitoring the situation round the clock in all of the affected areas to check further spread of Nipah virus as spate of infection of the virus has been reducing now," Dr Shahadat said.

Dr. Hisham Atta, Deputy Minister of Health, the government, said that the victim had been detained a hospital Shebin two days ago after the onset of symptoms of the disease with a high temperature and pain of joints, pointing out that the samples were taken from his relatives and indicate whether they had contracted the disease from whether or not to have been cleared of his house with disinfectant.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- North Korea reported to a U.N. food agency that foot-and-mouth disease -- rampantly spreading in South Korea -- has broken out on its soil as well, a U.S. broadcaster said Thursday.

Radio Free Asia (RFA), quoting an unidentified United Nations official, said that the communist country notified the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of an outbreak in a letter on Wednesday but did not provide details.

An email to the Rome-based U.N. agency seeking confirmation was not immediately returned while its South Korean office said it had no details. An official at South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles affairs involving North Korea, said on condition of anonymity that the report "appears true considering intelligence that foot-and-mouth disease has recently hit the North."

RFA said in its report from Washington that the FAO will send experts to North Korea "at an appropriate time" to help the communist country contain the highly contagious disease.

South Korea has been battling the disease that has spread nationwide in the last three months and caused over 3 million livestock to be culled. It remains unclear whether foot-and-mouth disease, if confirmed in the North, has spread from the South.

In 2007, North Korea suffered outbreaks of the disease, prompting South Korea to dispatch a team of animal health experts amid a mood of reconciliation.

Citing recent visitors to the impoverished neighbor, South Korean officials said last month that the North is believed to be stepping up its quarantine efforts after outbreaks were reported.

South and North Korea are divided by one of the world's most heavily fortified borders. Most cross-border exchanges have come to a halt over the last three years.

Foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious and affects cloven-hoofed animals like cattle, pigs, deer, goats and sheep. The disease causes blisters on the mouth and feet of livestock and leads to death. It is rarely transmitted to humans.

North Korea has banned the inflow of pork and beef from South Korea since late last year for fear that the disease may spread there.

9 February 2011 - The Ministry of Health of Cambodia has announced a new confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus.

The 5 year old female, from Prek Leap village, Sangkat Prek Leap, Khan Reussey Keo, Phnom Penh, developed symptoms on 29 January, was admitted to a hospital on 3 February and died 12 hours following admission. The presence of H5N1 virus in nasopharyngeal specimens was confirmed by Institut Pasteur, the National Influenza Centre in Cambodia. The case had been in contact with sick poultry during the 7 days before onset of symptoms.

The Ministry of Health has been coordinating the response. Actions have included contact tracing, collecting specimens from suspected cases, and providing oseltamivir prophylaxis to close contacts; active surveillance and joint investigation with animal health authorities; community education; and public communications coordination with the assistance of WHO.

Of the 11 cases of human H5N1 virus infection confirmed since 2005 in Cambodia, 9 have been fatal.

DHAKA, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's authorities have culled nearly 50,000 chickens so far this year following fresh outbreak of bird flu last month, an official said Wednesday.

The government's bird flu control room official told Xinhua Wednesday, "Some 46,387 chickens were culled so far this year after detecting avian influenza in 16 commercial farms."

Fresh outbreak of bird flu was detected in Bangladesh in the first week of January with arrival of winter season when the official, who preferred to be unnamed, said some 17,723 chickens were culled in four commercial farms including one near to capital Dhaka.

Apart from this, he said 9,769 birds died of the avian influenza in the 16 flu hit firms until Tuesday since January this year. "A total of 65,481 eggs were also destroyed during the same time," he added.

Against this backdrop, Bangladesh's Fisheries and Live Stock Department has strengthened its surveillance to contain further spread of the infectious disease -- H5N1.

"We've taken special steps like motivating farmers to adopt preventive measures since the disease found to reemerge last month to contain its outbreak," Director of the government's Influenza Preparedness and Response Project, Nazrul Islam, said.

He said bird flu has so far spread to four districts of the South Asian country including its capital Dhaka this year since its resurrection last month.

Islam further said they have also asked the authorities concerned for more vigilance at the border entry points as there are reports of bird flu outbreak in some neighboring countries.

A few months back bird flu outbreak was reported in Bangladesh' s neighboring India and very recently it has also been reported in Nepal.

Bangladesh's bird flu control room official, however, expected that there will not be massive outbreak of the disease this time as dangerous period meaning winter season, which is the high time for outbreak of the disease, nears to end in the country.

The bird flu was first detected in Bangladesh in a poultry farm near capital Dhaka in March 2007. The situation deteriorated later on as the virus spread fast across the country which was reported in 47 districts between December 2007 and March 2008.

About 50 percent of the country's 150,000 poultry farms were closed and more than 1.5 million chickens, ducks and pigeons were culled as of the end of March, 2008 in which the Bangladesh Poultry Industries Association estimated a loss of about 75 billion taka (about 1.07 billion U.S. dollars).

Bangladesh's poultry farmers during winter season in 2009 also suffered to some extent from the out break of the disease.

The first bird flu in human body in Bangladesh was detected on May 21, 2008. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States, diagnosed a 16-month-old Bangladesh child as being infected with H5N1 who later recovered.

PHNOM PENH, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's Ministry of Health and World Health Organization announced Wednesday that a young girl had died of respiratory complication caused by H5N1.

The joint statement sent out to the media on Wednesday said a 5- year-old girl from the capital city died on Feb. 4 as a result of respiratory complications after contracting human avian influenza virus H5N1.

The girl is the eleventh person in Cambodia to become infected with the H5N1 virus and the ninth death case.

"Avian influenza H5N1 is still a threat to the health of Cambodians - I urge communities to be on the look-out for respiratory infection with history of contact with dead or sick poultry to promptly seek medical attention at the nearest health facilities," said Mam Bun Heng, minister of health.

The statement said as part of the Ministry of Health's routine outbreak response measures, governmental Rapid Response Teams (RRT) are now in the area conducting field investigations to identify the girl's close contacts and to initiate preventive treatment as required.

A public health education campaign is being conducted to inform families on how to protect themselves from contracting avian influenza.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

WK Health DEPARTMENT direct coordination with the Department of Veterinary and Animal-related cases of bird flu in Pontianak regency. This is to anticipate the transmission to humans. "We are also coordinating with the local health office," said Chief Medical Officer of West Kalimantan, Andy Jap in the Governor's Office on Monday (7 / 2) siang.Menurut Andy, he has received information about the death of tens of thousands of tail of type broiler chickens, free-range chicken and chicken in the District Mempawah arabic. Kalbar Veterinary laboratory test results already declared dead chickens infected with H5N1 positive result aka bird flu.

Suspected transmission of H5N1 virus to birds in Pontianak regency derived from rooster purchased from Rasau Jaya residents. Allegations are being traced by monitoring the competent authority to Rasau Jaya. "Agencies we also collect information and conduct field monitoring," said Andy.Andy also had warned the local Health Office in anticipation of transmission to humans. "We also coordinate with the hospital there, if anything suspicious related to bird flu Sudarso immediately referred to hospitals," he said.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Staff Correspondent Four people from Rangpur and Nilphamari are admitted to Rangpur Medical College Hospital with symptoms similar to nipah infection, director general of directorate of health services Khandaker Shefayet Ullah said on Monday.Shefayet Ullah, who visited the northern division on Monday, told New Age, ‘Based on symptoms, the doctors assumed that they might be nipah infected. The patients are being treated in isolation. But we can confirm about the infection after laboratory tests.’He said panicked people who had left Hatibandha in fear of the ‘mystry disease’ might be spreading the virus in the other Upazilas.Shefayet Ullah said they were working to restore confidence in the community people. ‘Frightened people left their homes in panic. Now we are working to involve the local people including the rural elite and political leaders to fight the epidemic.’He also said that the emergency units at the government hospitals were not well equipped. He said that the government has planned to develop the emergency units of all the district hospitals and hospitals besides the highways.There was no fresh case of nipah infection at Hatiban-dha in the last couple of days, he said adding it seemed that the situation is now under control at the Upazila.Institute of Epidemiology, Diseases Control and Research senior scientific officer Mushtak Hossain told New Age that there was no death caused by nipah virus on Monday.‘But we examined a new patient at Hatibandha who has some symptoms like nipah virus infection,’ said Mustak.He said they had provided training to the health workers of the area so that they can handle the cases of nipah infection.Death toll from encephalitis caused by nipah virus at Hatibandha in Lalmonirhat reached 25 till Monday, according to local sources.However, the IEDCR confirmed the death of 17 people out of 24 nipah infected patients in the area.The outbreak of the virus was first marked a week back in Hatibandha. IEDCR laboratory reports later confirmed it was virus nipah.The government has, meanwhile, intensified surveillance and measures including distribution of leaflets and closing down of all educational institutions in the Hatibandha Upazila for a week to check the spread of the virus.

Narayanganj, Feb 7 (bdnews24.com) – Some 8,500 chickens of two poultry farms in Narayanganj have been found infected with H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu virus.

According to reports, around 200 chickens of the two farms in Batenpara area of Siddhirganj under Sadar Upazila died on Monday morning.

The infection was confirmed when the officials of the Upazila livestock department, sent a sample of the tissue to the Central Diseases Investigation Laboratory (CDIL) in Dhaka for analysis.

District livestock department official A K M Ariful Islam told bdnews24.com that some chickens of the twin farms had died over the last few days. The owners of the farms, Abdul Hai and Younus Mia, had brought it to the notice of the local livestock department.

The livestock officials visited the farms on Monday and sent the sample of the tissue to CDIL to establish whether it was H5N1 virus infection.

"The bird flu was confirmed in scrutiny. Later, we sealed one kilometre area surrounding the poultry farms," Islam added.

Narayanganj Sadar Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Mohammad Mothahar Hossain told bdnews24.com that there was nothing to panic due to bird flu virus, as the infected chickens would be culled.

"The culled chickens will be buried immediately, so that the disease does not spread to other nearby farms," the UNO added.

Meanwhile, Officer-in-Charge of Shiddhirganj Police Station S M Badrul Alam told bdnews24.com that policemen were sent to the spot and that the infected chickens would be culled around 11pm on Monday.

On February 3, some 8,000 infected chickens of a poultry farm in Kishoreganj were culled.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Health Ministry has given countrywide warning for Nipah virus naturally carried by Bats. Letters has already sent to Nipha-affected Lalmonirhat areas.

Health Minister Dr. AFM Ruhul Haque told this at a meeting with the journalists on Saturday and urged all to remain cautioned over the virus.

The disease caused by Nipah virus known as Encephalitis could preliminarily be indentified as the patient suffers from high fever with headache and vomiting. Nipah-affected-patient would have possibilities to die within 8 to 10 days by heart attack.

The disease causes inflammation of brain. The virus can transmit among humans through the saliva, urine and stools of infected bats. Experts are in opinion that boiled date-juice can be taken.

Nipah was first reported in the country in 2001 while a total of 152 people have been infected from 2001 to January 31, 2011. Of the infected, 113 people died. In Bangladesh, two types of encephalitis--Japanese and Nipah--are common, experts said.